Maze Runner
by Foxykyuu15
Summary: What would you do if you woke up somewhere with no memories? If you were forced into a completely foreign environment where everyone depends on each other for the sole reason of surviving? Would you give up, or would you keep fighting? Up for adoption, just PM me!
1. New Life

Maze Runner

_Chapter 1_

New Life **Prologue: ** **Disclaimer: I don't own Maze Runner or Naruto.**

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><p>He opened his eyes to darkness, and a high pitched rattling sound. The ground was lurching beneath him, and he groggily rolled from his back and got to his feet, staggering to the side as a particularly harsh jerk disturbed his equilibrium. He shook his head as he crashed to his hands and knees, trying to blink away the pressure behind his eyes. His muscles all felt sore and achy, like he'd been doing something strenuous, while he could taste the copper-like flavor of blood in his mouth. He blinked and brought a hand to his temple as pain surged through his eyes, trying to focus his rampant thoughts.<p>

_Where was he?_

_How did he get here?_

_Why was he so sore?_

Who _was he?_

WIth a grimace he lay back against the wall of the shaft he was in and turned to look behind him, only to fly back once he saw distinctly glowing eyes peering at him. Breathing heavily, he leaned against one of the crates as he tried to organize his thoughts once more. With the focus his mind functioned quickly, without any problems. He took in all that he could organize about the area and practically saw the equations, the pros and cons, the possibilities and impossibilities. He _knew _he could figure this out, if only he remembered!

Knowledge flashed into existence, how the world worked, the memories and the details of what he should have known instinctually. He did remember some things, like how he used to watch the rain as it came down, the feeling of wind pressing him forward as he ran alongside others, the satisfaction that came with food after a long day of doing work, or something like that. Despite his memories of the world, he didn't remember facts about _himself._

He knew that he was sixteen. He didn't know his name, first, middle, or last. He knew what he was good at, talented at. He didn't know his likes though, his dislikes, or his dreams. Talents were all he knew, as they would come in handy, and they were a part of you. They were what you were born with, or had practiced enough that they were ingrained into your psyche.

He slid down to the cold metal of the cage he seemed to be in, lost in thoughts so deep that he completely disregarded the hungry eyes looking at him through the elevator, and the sounds of the pulleys and chains working on pulling him up. His pain hit him sharply and he cried out, biting his tongue when he heard the creatures growl. The elevator's speed picked up, faster and faster, until coming to an abrupt stop, making him fly up and hit his head as he flew across the small space, only aggravating his pain even more.

It was silent for a while, and he wasn't sure how much time passed. He couldn't help but squint when the heavy doors above him were pulled open and his pupils dilated and contracted at the brightness of the outside world, trying to adjust from the darkness they'd contrasted to. He rapidly blinked and shadowed his eyes from the light as he listened to the other boys all exclaim something or other.

"Look at that loser."

"How old do ya think he is?"

"Looks like a wimp in a t shirt."

"You're the wimp, idiot."

"Ugh, it stinks down there!"

"Hope you enjoyed that trip, Greenie."

"Ain't no ticket back, man."

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><p>This is only the beginning! I'm trying to stay close to the story line of Maze Runner, while adding my own twists. Can you guess which Naruto characters play as a Maze Runner character? I'm updating the next chapter tonight, too.<p> 


	2. My Name?

Maze Runner

_Chapter 2_

My Name? **Prologue: ****What would you do if you woke up somewhere with no memories? If you were forced into a completely foreign environment where everyone depends on each other for the sole reason of surviving? Would you give up, or would you keep fighting?** **Disclaimer: I don't own Maze Runner or Naruto.**

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><p>Basically every hand there was reaching in to help him up, but he only glared at the appendages as if accepting help was something nasty. He slowly pulled himself to his feet, wobbling. Several of the boys noticed and shot each other questioning glances. Still dazzled by the sun's light, he once again shielded his eyes, eventually accepting help to be dragged out of the elevator from one of the teens, and once he was on his feet, he grimaced. He tried taking a step forward, only to trip and land on his knees hard. He ignored the pain and looked around, analysing his surroundings. The others stayed silent, allowing him to take in his new home.<p>

He really was curious, but everything hurt and he felt sick with nausea. Some of the boys snickered or stared at him, poking him with their fingers. It seemed like there were forty-something boys altogether, each wearing sweaty and dirty clothes, as if they'd been working hard on outdoor tasks. Not one looked the same, each being a different size, height, shape, and look, -hair and body-. He felt dizzy all of a sudden, and his eyes flicked from the boys to the strange new surroundings.

They were standing in a huge grassy courtyard, much bigger than the size of three football fields, with four enormous walls of flat, gray stone, with ivy vines climbing up to the tops of it on various different places. The walls were over a hundred feet tall, boxing in the area the boys had claimed in a perfectly formed square. On each wall was an open gap that stretched from the ground to the tops of the walls themselves, that, from what he could make out, led to long passages.

"Heh, look at the greenie!" A voice that sounded slightly scratchy exclaimed. "Looks like the trip was a little too much for the wimp." A few boys laughed at that.

"Ah, shut it, Zaku." A lazy, deeper voice shot back.

He focused back on the dozens of strangers surrounding him and felt the urge to get them to back off, but resisted. He knew he was out of it -his body hurt like hell and he was pretty sure he'd been drugged by something. A tall kid with short, messy brown hair scoffed at him, unimpressed. A boy around twelve stared at him with wide, inquisitive eyes, his brown hair spiked up and green goggles on his head. A tough looking spiky haired brunette with tan skin, red upside down triangles on his cheeks, and fangs poking out of his mouth grinned at him, the huge white dog by his side seemingly doing the same. A brunette with his hair in a pineapple looking ponytail frowned - the same one who'd told Zaku to shut it.

"Where… am I?" He asked, wincing at how his voice sounded. It was harsh and scratchy from disuse, as if it had been a while since he'd spoken.

"Nowhere you'd like to be." The pineapple teen responded. "Just try and keep calm, it's less troublesome."

"Which Keeper is he gonna get?" Someone shouted.

"I told ya, idiot." A higher voice responded. "He's a wimp, so he'll be a Slopper, I'd betcha." The kid snickered.

Different emotions battled for dominance in his mind and heart. Confusion. Curiosity. Panic. Fear. But laced through it all was the dark feeling of utter hopelessness, like the world had ended for him, had been wiped from his memory and replaced with something awful. He wanted to -not run and hide- but hurt these people for making him feel cornered.

"I said shut it!" Pineapple boy shouted in annoyance. "Mendokuse, keep talking and I'll cut the next rest time in half!"

_Seems he's the leader. _He realized. Annoyed by how everyone was openly gaping at him, he focused back on the place he'd heard someone call the Glade.

The floor of the courtyard looked like it was made of huge stone blocks, many of them cracked and filled with long grasses and weeds. An odd, dilapidated wooden building near one of the corners of the square contrasted greatly with the gray stone. A few trees surrounded it, their roots like gnarled hands digging into the rock floor for food. Another corner of the compound held gardens—from where he was standing he recognized corn, tomato plants, and fruit trees.

Across the courtyard from there stood wooden pens holding sheep and pigs and cows. A large grove of trees filled the final corner; the closest ones looked crippled and close to dying. The sky overhead was cloudless and blue, but he could see no sign of the sun despite the brightness of the day. The creeping shadows of the walls didn't reveal the time or direction—it could be early morning or late afternoon. As he breathed in deeply, trying to settle his nerves, a mixture of smells bombarded him. Freshly turned dirt, manure, pine, something rotten and something sweet. Somehow he knew that these were the smells of a farm.

He scanned their faces, taking in each expression, judging them. One boy's eyes, flared with hatred, stopped him cold. He looked so angry, he wouldn't have been surprised if the kid came at him with a knife. He had black messy hair and wore camouflage pants, and when they made eye contact, the boy shook his head and turned away, walking toward a greasy iron pole with a wooden bench next to it. A multicolored flag hung limply at the top of the pole, no wind to reveal its pattern.

Suddenly the leader of the group stepped forward. He was wearing normal clothes: dark green t-shirt, jeans, tennies, and a wristwatch. His hands were in his pocket and he was slouching, eyes hooded. "It's a long story, newbie." Pineapple dude muttered. "Slowly, you'll learn. I'll be takin' you on a tour tomorrow. Until then, don't be too troublesome and try not to ruin anything." He stuck out his hand. "The name's Shikamaru."

He stared at the hand for a minute before allowing Shikamaru to pull him to his feet. He grimaced and almost fell again, but the other boy threw one of his arms over his shoulders with a smirk. "Say, greenie, what happened to ya? No one's ever been hurt when they got up here. And what's your name?"

He would have shrugged Shikamaru away in any other circumstance, but he knew he needed the help as he was led to a medical hut, by the looks of it. Slowly, he lowered himself to sit on the cot and prop his chin on his hand. Shikamaru sat on the cot across from him, all the other boys crowding in to here the conversation. "So," He started, voice still scratchy. "My name… " He closed his eyes, thinking hard. Memories flashed through his head, but they were too fast for him to catch anything, until settling on a name written on a piece of paper. "I think… that it's… Naruto."

Shikamaru nodded, frowning. "Say, Naruto, you ain't actin' scared. If there's one thing I know, is that since everyone else here has woken up without their memories, they panicked, but you ain't doin' that. Are ya even human? Ya keep actin' like this I'll throw ya off the Cliff."

Naruto hummed. "The Cliff, huh? Sounds pretty interesting."

Shikamaru looked at him weirdly, both for the abrupt personality change and the complete… randomness of the spiky haired blonde in front of him. His blue eyes were shadowed, as if they'd seen too much, but held a glint of mischief. He was wearing a gray t-shirt, black cargo jeans, and brown lightweight combat boots. His hands and wrists were wrapped in white medical tape up to the elbow. "Ah, forget it." Shikamaru rubbed his eyes. "There ain't no way to start these conversations on how ya got here, ya know? We wouldn't actually do that throwing you off the Cliff thing, just try to prevent your death. Be careful, and all that."

Shikamaru paused, realizing Naruto was waiting for him to say more before the brunette sighed in frustration. "Man! I ain't good at this -you're the first Greenie we've had since Haku was killed."

Naruto stared blankly at Shikamaru until another boy stepped up, whacking Shikamaru slightly on the head before realizing how 'undignified' it was and regaining his composure. WIth his long brown hair, pupil less silver eyes, and pale skin, he fit the description of girly boy pretty well, especially with the grace he moved with. "Wait for the tour, Shikamaru. It's a pleasure to meet you, Naruto-san. I am Neji." Neji offered the blonde his hand.

Naruto's face was still blank before he snickered. _Hehe, pretty boy seems pretty uptight. _He grasped the other's hand and shook before retreating the appendage to his side. "Yeah."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru groaned, pulling Neji down to sit next to him on the cot so they could better talk. Neji wore a white tee, blue jeans, and sneakers. Naruto was surprised as he'd thought he'd be more sophisticated in his clothing, but then again there wasn't much you could do here. "At least I'm more sociable than you, Neji." A few people laughed at that. "This place? We call it the Glade. Here we live, eat, sleep -we call ourself the Gladers. That's all you-"

Naruto had had enough of holding in his anger. "So, can ya tell me _why _I'm here?" Shikamaru twitched in annoyance, grabbing the blonde by his shirt and pulling him to his feet, their faces close together.

"Get up, greenbean." Naruto righted himself at Shikamaru's orders, but he decided not to fight back, as something told him that it wasn't a good idea. He'd hurt the brunette.

Neji scowled in annoyance, yanking Shikamaru's shirt. "Lay off the newbie Shikamaru. Threatening him isn't going to help anyone."

Shikamaru dropped Naruto back onto the bed and yawned. "Fine. Listen up, Greenie. This is your new life, whatever your old one was is now over. Now don't talk."

"You get what he's saying, right Newbie?" Neji shot Naruto a look, and the blonde crossed his arms and leaned back, nodding, but looking pretty disinterested.

"Good." Shika nodded. "First day is today, Greenie. Night's coming, so the Runners will be back soon. The Box came late today, so we don't have any time for a tour." He glanced at Neji. "Get him a place to sleep. I don't think he'll need to stay in here anyways." Neji nodded as Shika narrowed his eyes at Naruto. "A few weeks and you'll be used to the Glade, used to us. You'll be used to working your share. None of us knew anything on our first day. Your new life begins tomorrow."

Shikamaru turned and pushed his way through the crowd and out of the hut, then headed for the slanted wooden building in the corner. Most of the kids wandered away then, each one giving Naruto a lingering look before they walked off. Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath before standing, noting with satisfaction that his pains were now gone, physically at least. Ever since he'd woken up without his memories he'd felt an empty blackness eating away at him. He looked at the patient Neji. "Eh, can ya show me where I can sleep?"

Neji looked a bit regretful and stoic at the same time. "Sorry, I got some things to do before the sun sets. I'll get Konohamaru, you'll like him. Annoying little brat, but he's loyal. I'll be right back."

Neji had barely finished his sentence when a sudden, piercing scream ripped through the air. High and shrill, the barely human shriek echoed across the stone courtyard; every kid in sight turned to look toward the source. Naruto felt his blood turn to icy slush as he realized that the horrible sound came from the person on the cot across the room.

Even Neji had jumped as if startled, his forehead creasing in concern.

"Forget it," he said. "Can't the Med-jacks handle that boy for ten minutes without needing my help?" He shook his head and lightly kicked Naruto on the foot. "Find Konohamaru, tell him he's in charge of your sleeping arrangements." And then he turned glared at the medics, giving out orders.

Naruto shrugged, gave the weird guy a last glance, and walked out of the hut. _Damn. This place is weird already. Oh well, good thing that means I'm right where I belong. _A grin spread across his face, stretching the whiskers on his face. _Let's make the most of this._

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><p>Chapter 2 done! Now it's two o'clock in the morning, so, night? Morning? I don't know any more.<p> 


	3. The Changing

Maze Runner

_Chapter 3_

**Prologue: ****What would you do if you woke up somewhere with no memories? If you were forced into a completely foreign environment where everyone depends on each other for the sole reason of surviving? Would you give up, or would you keep fighting?** **Disclaimer: I don't own Maze Runner or Naruto.**

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><p>Naruto exited the medic's tent, slightly limping. He eventually made it over to a large tree and looked up, eyes catching a flash of silver and red. He leaned heavily against the tree and observed the boys as they went about their jobs, talking and laughing. They all seemed like they belonged here, like they each had a purpose. Naruto felt lost, confused, and empty. He didn't belong here, They weren't his people.<p>

"Hey!" Naruto looked over as he heard the shout, only to blink when he noticed the young kid with the goggles standing there with a stupid grin on his face.

"Uh, hey?" Naruto muttered.

The kid walked up to him, taking him in. "You look pretty cool, new guy! So, what's up? Oh, my name's Konohamaru."

Naruto blinked again. "Naruto. Neji told me that you would show me where I'll be sleeping."

Konohamaru grumbled, but nodded. "Yeah, right this way." He lead the blonde past groups hard at work and into a hut with a bunch of hammocks as beds. Konohamaru grinned. "They're not much, but they do the job."

"Yeah," Naruto muttered, eyeing the fabric. "whatever."

Konohamaru suddenly frowned. "What's up with you? I mean, you didn't freak out when you got up here to the Glade, sometimes you're happy, but then others you're all happy and act kinda like me."

"I honestly don't know." Naruto grinned suddenly. "I think I might be bipolar."

Konohamaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah, think. Now come on-"Another scream pierced through the air from the medic hut. The memory of the boy laying on the bed, writhing in pure agony, pushed to the forefront of Naruto's mind, while Konohamaru shot a weary glance in that direction. "I feel sorry for Dosu. He's sick. They got him."

Naruto shot a glance at the boy. "'They'?" He'd heard the bitter tone in Konohamaru's voice.

"Yeah, 'They'."

"Who's 'They'?"

Konohamaru grinned. "You better hope that you'll never find out."

This is my guide for the night? Naruto thought. He couldn't shake his extreme discomfort, and now annoyance crept in as well. Nothing made sense; his head hurt. "So why is everyone calling me Greenie, or Greenbean?" He suddenly asked.

"It's 'cause you're the newest newbie." Konohamaru replied, pointing at the blonde with a laugh. Another bone-chilling scream came from the hut.

Naruto sighed. "Geez, this place sure seems welcoming."

"He'll be okay. No one dies if they make it back in time to get the Serum. It's all or nothing. Dead or not dead. Just hurts a lot." Konohamaru muttered.

"Erm, _what _hurts?"

Konohamaru looked unsure of what to say. "Um, gettin' stung by grievers."

"Grievers?" Now Naruto really wanted to know. The kid only shrugged and looked away. "So…"

"Don't worry. You'll be all whacked for a few days, but then you'll get used to this place. I have. We live here, this is it. Better than living in a pile of shit." He squinted.

Naruto grimaced. "...Okay."

The brunette laughed. "Don't worry about anything, Naruto! I've been here a month, I'll show you how everything works."

"You can't even tell me anything. I wouldn't call that taking care of me." Naruto bit out.

Konohamaru shrugged. "Nothin' I say'll do you any good," he said. "I'm basically still a Newbie, too. But I can be your friend—"

Naruto sighed as he stood up and headed back towards the medical tent as another scream came, leaving Konohamaru behind to catch up. "Let's talk about this later." He reached the door, only to notice the boys crowded around outside looking hopeless.

"Hey, look, it's the Greenbean," one of the older boys called out. Naruto realized it was the black-haired guy who'd given him the look of death earlier. He looked like he was fifteen or so, tall and skinny. "This newbie probably shit his pants when he heard old Dosu scream like a girl. Need a new diaper, shit-face?"

"My name is Naruto." The blonde glared, heading to enter the hut he'd been in earlier, but paused when the other boy stopped him.

"Hold on there, Greenie." He jerked a thumb in the direction of the hut. "Newbies aren't allowed to see someone who's been … taken. Neji and Shikamaru won't allow it."

"What's your problem?" Naruto asked boldly, wondering what the kid had meant by taken. "I don't even know where I am. All I want is to help the dude who sounds like he's dying."

"Listen to me, Greenbean." The boy wrinkled up his face, folded his arms. "I've seen you before. Something's fishy about you showing up here, and I'm gonna find out what."

A surge of heat pulsed through Thomas's veins. "I've never seen you before in my life. I have no idea who you are, and I couldn't care less," he spat. But really, how would he know? And how could this kid remember him?

The bully snickered, a short burst of laughter mixed with a phlegm-filled snort. Then his face grew serious, his eyebrows slanting inward. "I've … seen you, newbie. Not too many in these parts can say they've been stung." He pointed up the stairs. "I have. I know what Dosu's going through. I've been there. And I saw you during the Changing." He reached out and poked Naruto in the chest. "And I bet your first meal from Chouji that Dosu'll say he's seen ya, too."

Naruto pointed up the stairs and worked on ignoring the kid, from where the moans of the sick kid echoed through the building. "If Neji is in there, then I wanna talk to him."

The boy said nothing, stared at Naruto for several seconds. Then he shook his head. "You know what? You're right, Naru-chan—I shouldn't be so mean to Newbies. Go on upstairs and I'm sure Shikamaru and Neji'll fill you in. Seriously, go on. I'm sorry." He lightly slapped Naruto's shoulder, then stepped back, gesturing towards the door. But Naruto knew the kid was up to something. Losing parts of your memory didn't make you an idiot, and his instinct told him that this kid was trouble.

"What's your name?" Naruto asked suddenly.

"Zaku. And don't let anyone fool you. I'm the real leader here, not the two geezer's upstairs. Me. You can call me Zaku-taisho if you want." He smiled for the first time; the look matching his ugly attitude.

"Okay," he said, so sick of the guy he wanted to punch him in the face. "Zaku-taisho it is." He exaggerated a salute, feeling a rush of adrenaline, as he knew he'd just crossed a line.

A few snickers escaped the crowd, and Zaku looked around, his face bright red. He peered back at Naruto,, hatred furrowing his brow. "Just go in there," Zaku said. "And stay away from me, you little shithead." He pointed again but didn't take his eyes off of Naruto.

"Fine." Naruto retorted, spotting Konohamaru standing by the door and shaking his head.

"You're not supposed to," the younger boy said. "You're a Newbie—you can't go up there."

Naruto scoffed. _I've already been in there, and so have the others. Why didn't they notice anything? _

"Go," said Zaku with a sneer. "Go on up."

Naruto stuck his tongue out at the boy and opened the door, walking in. His eyes immediately landed on Dosu to see the image again. A twisted, pale figure writhing in agony, chest bare and hideous. Tight, rigid cords of sickly green veins webbed across the boy's body and limbs, like ropes under his skin. Purplish bruises covered the kid, red hives, bloody scratches. His bloodshot eyes bulged, darting back and forth. The image had already burned into Nsaruto's mind once more before Shikamaru jumped up, blocking the view but not the moans and screams, pushing Naruto out of the room, then slamming the door shut behind them.

"What do you think you're doing, Greenie?!" The normally calm Shikamaru hissed, face drawn and tight with anger.

Naruto straightened. "I wanted to help. I… feel like I know what to do."

Shikamaru shook his head. "Get out, now. Konohamaru'll help you. If you're seen here again before tomorrow, I literally _will _throw you off the Cliff."

Naruto glared but turned around and walked out the door, slamming it behind him and grabbing Konohamaru's arm while storming past the other boys. All looked shocked, even Zaku. "let's get outta here." He muttered to Konohamaru.

"You got it!" The boy piped cheerily, thrilled to be needed. "But first let's get some food from Chouji, I'm starving!"

Naruto shrugged as he sat near a tree and waved Konohamaru off. "I guess so."

"Okay!" The kid said. "Just give me ten minutes."

Naruto wished for all the world he could remember something about his previous life. Anything. His mom, his dad, a friend, his school, a hobby. A girl. But nothing came to mind. Some words popped into his head and he frowned.

The Changing. Whatever was happening to Dosu was called the changing.

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><p>Not much muse today, but eh, I got it done.<p> 


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